Borneo Earless Monitors - Lanthanotus borneensis - Living Fossil - the Old Godzilla

although the fossil record is completely silent on this matter this means that Lathon oins have been long ghost lineage extending back to the Mesozoic earless monitor lizards have a cylindrical body long neck short limbs long sharp claws small eyes semi-transparent lower eyelids and six longitudinal rows of strongly keeled scales despite the name they are capable of hearing although lacquer tympanum and an ear opening and other externally visible signs of ears the upper parts of the body are orangish-brown and the underside is mottled dark brown and whitish adult earless monitor lizards typically have a total length of about 40 centimeters of 16 inches the tail is prehensile and if it is lost it is not regenerated the skin is shedding frequently possibly less than once a year.

 overall the sexes are alike but the males have a distinctively broader head and brought a tail base than the females they sometimes oscillate their throat similar to frogs and the forked tongue is sometimes flicked in and out similar to snakes the only vocalization they seem to be capable of is a gentle squeaking sound the earless monitor lizard was described in 1878 by Austrian zoologist Franz Stein Donna the genus name latha notice means hidden ear and the species name Bornean says refers to its home island born. 

 the uniqueness of this species was recognized from the very beginning and sty and duck now place it in its own family lansinoh today in 1899 George Albertville and chair relegated it to the family helo to Mater Dei together with the beaded lizards and Gila monster. 

 further studies were conducted in the 1950s where it was found that although it is related to helo de ma today this the relationship is relatively distant the similarity is in part the results of convergent evolution and they should be recognized as separate families both a part of the broader Angwin morphia but the relationship among the various families within this group is a matter of debate several earlier studies have placed the earless monitor lizard.

together with aloo tamatar day and for anna day in Voronoi dia more recent genetic evidence has found that the nearest relative of the ANS monitor lizard is indeed four ran a day the extinct chamois notice is known from late cretaceous fossil remains in Mongolia. 

 has been considered a close relative of the illness monitor lizard but aside from this no fossil relatives from the Cenozoic have ever been found the illness monitor lizard is endemic to The Southeast Asian island of Borneo it is found in lowlands at altitudes below 300 meters or a thousand feet near streams and marshes these are typically located in rainforests but it is also found in streams flowing through degraded habitat such as agricultural land mature fruit tree gardens and palm oil plantations and is reported to occur in rice paddies its habitat is tropical with air and water temperatures that are generally about 22 to 29 degrees or 72 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit and captives reportedly prefer 24 to 28 degrees earless monitor lizards are generally strictly nocturnal animals although exceptional day time observation to be open have been reported the days usually spent near water in burrows that can be up to 30 centimeters long or under rocks logs or other vegetation they are generally.

quite inactive and not agile but can make surprisingly fast bursts of speed when startled and will rapidly catch prey items placed in front of them during one study where nineteen individuals were located during the night about half were in the water and the other half was near the water on land in captivity, they sometimes remained virtually immobile and some will go up now periodically lifting the nose above the water surface to breathe when underwater the semi-transparent lower eyelids are generally closed to covering the eyes it has been speculated that the prehensile tail is wrapped around stones roots and other things underwater to avoid being swept along during floods although generally docile and inactive.

when handled males are usually more aggressive than females when caught and in one case a scientist received the deep bite to his finger but did not experience any effects indicating venom in the bite this supported decades-old discussion studies where no venom glands or grooved in the teeth were found others kept in captivity were found to the bite often resulting in wounds at a relatively deep it compared to those from similar-sized lizards and causing extensive bleeding with blood clotting repeatedly being slower than in normal wounds recent studies have found the presence of both venom glands and toxic compounds in the bite of this species they typically feed on earthworms crustaceans and fish in captivity they will eat fish both whole and in pieces earthworms squid shrimp tadpoles yolk from green sea turtle eggs pieces of pig and chicken liver baby mice and mussels in captivity adults typically eat once or twice a week but sometimes enter long periods where they do not feed unusually for a lizard.

can swallow prey while submerged underwater they appear to be able to do this by draining water from their nostrils similar to turtles like their closest relatives they are open aras although little is known about their reproduction the earless monitor lizard has not been rated by the IUCN but it likely qualifies for a vulnerable position the species is usually considered very rare but it is easily overlooked and as recently as 1999 the only published confirmed records were from Sarawak in some areas locals are unaware of its presence or consider it rare but in others it may be common at one site in western Caliban turn 17 of 21 locals asked were aware of its presence. 

and most of this acidic common at three In other sites in the region the majority asked were aware of his presence but less than half did it common elsewhere a three-night survey of a 400 meter 1,300 foot long section of a stream as well as two adjacent streams located 19 earless monitor lizards representing an unusually high density for a lizard of this size despite this high density in a stream used by locals for washing fishing and as a source of drinking water. 

the only reported seeing the species very rarely and some had never seen it nevertheless at presence the earless monitor desert is only known for certain from a relatively small number of sites in In recent years this animal has become a target for the international pet trade potentially endangering this species low population size in the wild habitat loss represents another serious threat as forests in Borneo rapidly are being replaced by palm oil plantations however, the earless monitor can survive in high densities in areas surrounded by degraded habitats including palm oil plantations and rocky streams possibly its preferred habitat and are relatively unaffected by human activity let's hope that this shy reclusive and unique reptile can with human health survive for another 70 million years thank you for reading everyone